If you drive south from Vancouver past YVR and down to the Fraser River Delta you land at the former fishing village of Steveston. Fisherman still bring their catches there each morning and if you’re down there early, you can grab some of the freshest fish going. You can read more about this very quaint village – now part of Richmond – from our visit there in August 2011. See here.

Steveston is also famous for a fish and chips joint called Pajo’s. Pajo’s now has several locations but the one – floating on the Fraser in Steveston – is the original. It serves the finest fish and chips in the west. Particularly because the breading is so ‘light’.

2) picking up an order at Pajo’s3) awesome fish and chips

Steveston in addition to Pajo’s, its fish market and the Cannery Museum is also home to the Britannia Heritage Shipyards – now a National Historic Site – a short, scenic 10-minute walk east along the boardwalk past the fish market. Founded in 1885 to support the salmon fisheries it is an authentic representation of the once-thriving community of canneries, boat yards, residences and stores. When the salmon fishery died, the area was turned into a shipyard. At its height, the community was self-sufficient and was a virtual United Nations of citizens including Chinese, Japanese, Europeans and First Nations. All of the homes here were built on piles over the marsh and, interestingly, this part of the Fraser River is actually tidal and has significant high/low tide phases.

4) buoys and nets!

5) here’s the Shipyard and marsh

6) and again

7) a beautiful great blue heron

8) some of the homes build on stiles above the marsh

9) each had cute little gardens

10) the wee homes are SO cute and you can tour inside each

11) a peek inside the shipyard main building

12) looking across the marsh to the Fraser

13) G heads to the shipyard

14) along the Fraser

Back in the main part of the village they were also displaying a bevy of vintage Ford vehicles which was very neat to see … Papa would have loved seeing this.

15) one of the fishing boats

16) the Ford Fairlanes all lined up outside the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Museum